walker



(No Model.) l L. A. WALKER.

-BAG FASTENBR.

No. 55751.75. Patented Mar. 3l, 1896.

AN DREW EGRANAM. FNOTOLMD. WASHINGTON. D C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS A. VALKER, OF NEIV YORK, N. Y.

BAG-FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 557,17 5, dated March 31, 1896.

Application filed .Tune 13, 1892. Serial Nox 43 64.546. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that l, LOUIS A. WALKER, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bag-Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in bag-fasteners of such nature that the mouth of the bag, when it is closed by a draw-string or other means, is both covered and secured by the fastener.

In the present invention I aim to have the fastener wholly outside of the mouth of the bag, so that when the bag is opened the fastener will be out of the way to enable the contents of the bag to be easily and freely removed, and the improved fastener has its members so arranged that they clamp the edges of the bag securely together and thereby close and protect the mouth of the bag. To the accomplishment of these ends, the im.- proved fastener is made of two members pivoted or hinged together and connected to the bag or its draw-string outside of the mouth of the same, and means for tightly closing the members of the fastener upon the edges of the bag.

In the preferred embodiment of my improved fastener I employ a spring for normallyforcing the pivoted members apart and a transvere spindle or rod passing freely through the members, said spindle having its ends provided with binding-heads which bear orimpinge on the fastener members and force the same upon the edges of the bag to close the mouth, which is covered entirely bythe fastener.

I do not confine myself to the use of a distending-spring and the particular fastening means hereinbefore mentioned, as the spring may be omitted and the spindle connected at one end to one member of the clamp and provided at its other end with the angular binding-head adapted to force one member of the clamp toward the other member and secure the edges of the bag between the two members, or the members of the clasp may be caught and held together by a spindle operated by a spring. The essence of the invention, however, resides in a bag-fastener comprising the hin ged members arranged wholly outside of the mouth of the bag and connected to the same, and means for positively closing the members upon the edges of the bag, whereby the mouth is effectively cov- 6o ered and sealed against the escape of the contents, and the fastener, when the bag is opened, lies out of the way to permit the mal terial or substance to be freely removed or placed in the bag.

My invention further consists of the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Figure l is a perspective view of my im- 7o proved fastener. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of the same, the section being taken transversely through the fastener. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a perspective and sectional view of a modified form of the fastener, and 75 Fig. 5 is a view of another modification.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in all the gures of the drawings.

I will first proceed to describe the preferred embodiment of my invention illustrated in 8o Figs. l and 2 of the drawings, referring morel particularly to which- A designates a bag, of any desired size, shape, or material, which bag is provided with one or more draw strings or cords B, arranged 8 5 around the mouth of the bag in the usualmanner, so as to close the same.

My improved fastener consists of two members or plates C C', which are hinged together at one edge by means of a pintle or shaft c, 9o which passes through lugs or ears on the meeting edges of the plates or members, and one of these members is attached to the bag, near its edge, in any suitable or desirable manner. The two members or plates C C Vo 5 are adapted to be forced and held upon the edges of the bag by a short spindle or link D, which extends loosely through suitable openings provided in the plates at one side of the pintle or shaft c. The ends of the spindleD roo are provided with the heads d d, preferably formed by bending the spindle upon itself, and these heads are adapted when the spindle is turned to bind or impinge upon the members to force them together and upon t-he edges of the bag.

On the pintle which pivotally connects the two members C C', I preferably arrange a coiled spring F, the ends of which are arranged and extend to bear against the inner opposing sides or faces of the members C C of the fastener and which tend to force said members apart at their lower unconnected edges.

' IVhen the mouth of the bag has been closed by drawing on the draw string or cord I3, the transverse spindle or link D is turned in the openings in the plates or members C C and the binding-heads on the ends thereof press against the outer faces of the members G C', so as to force the lower edges of said members toward each other and upon the edges of the bag, so that the mouth is closely grasped between and covered by said plates, both of the plates being on the outside of the bag at all times. The plates are held in the position shown in Fig. l and prevented from being forced apart by the spring F by means of the heads cl CZ of the link or spindle D bearing tightly against the outer faces of said members or plates.

To open the bag, it is only necessary to turn the spindle or link D so that its heads d d are moved toward the pintle c, in the position shown in Fig. 2, whereupon the spring F forces the plates C C apart and the bag can be readily opened.

In the modified construction illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4E the draw-cord B passes through openings or apertures c' in the plates C C', and said plates can be moved on said cord when they are not locked together around the mouth of the bag by the head j', which is formed on one end only of the spindle orlink D, the other end of which is connected loosely to onemember of the fastener. rl`his head g is adapted to slide or move in its openin g in the member C when the two members are opened, and it is of such length that it can be conveniently grasped to manipulate the same.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. l to 4, inclusive, I employ the members or plates C C, which are eut or stamped and pressed ont of a single piece of sheet metal; but I do not restrict myself to the particular form of plate, as I am aware that other forms of plates or members can be used in lieu thereof-as, for instance, the members can be made of two pieces of curved wire hinged at their ends and adapted to be forced by the fastening means closely against the sides of the bag to hold the mouth thereof closed.

I am also aware that changes in the form and proportion of parts and details of construction of the devices herein shown and described as an embodiment of my invention can be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing the advantages of my invention, and I therefore reserve the right to make such changes and alterations as fall within the scope of the same.

llaving thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Iatent, is-

l. A bag-fastener attached to a bag near the mouth thereof, and consisting of two hinged members, a spring arranged to force said members apart and means connected to the members and adapted to draw the same into position on the bag to cover and conceal the mouth thereof, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a bag, of a fastener attached to the bag, near the mouth thereof, and consisting of two hinged members and a single spindle or link extending through both of said members and provided at its ends with heads adapted to force the members of the fastener upon the bag to close the mouth thereof, substantially as de scribed. y

3. The combination with a bag fastener' having a drawstring around its mouth, of an external sectional hinged fastener attached to the bag near the mouth thereof, a spring for forcing the free ends of the members or sections of the fastener apart and means connecting the fastener-sections and adapted to draw said sections upon the edges of the mouth of the bag to cover and conceal the same, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS A. WALKER. Witnesses:

CORNELIUS S. MITCHTLL, HENRY Ennnme. 

